Letter: Top notch musicians

To clarify the article of Aug. 22 (“SM Symphony suspends season amid funding issues”), the Santa Monica Symphony under Maestro Gross has always had top union professionals as its principals and soloists, and that has included Martin Chalifour, the L.A. Phil’s renowned violinist and concertmaster. It is out of admiration for Maestro Gross that these top professionals take far less than their usual fee to play with the volunteer musicians, who are carefully selected and rehearsed by Maestro Gross.

I propose that the city and local businesses sponsor a gala closing concert for the Civic, when the symphony would otherwise have been giving its very popular Memorial Day weekend concert.